The list of eCommerce players rapidly integrating generative AI features continues to grow. And the latest entrant is one of the original eCommerce engines: eBay. Like many of the other gen-AI integrations we’ve covered in this space (more on those in a bit) this involves streamlining product listings.
More specifically, it leans into one of gen AI’s core strengths – creating imagery on the fly. From early in the current gen-AI craze, eCommerce has been a natural fit because product images have long been a pain point for sellers. It’s all about creating images that stand out in a sea of product listings.
With gen AI, product images – and more popular at this stage, product backgrounds – can be customized and altered using text prompts. That replaces the tedious process of high-end photography or manual graphic design. And it democratizes dynamic modifications like seasonal variations.
This concept amplifies when talking about the long tail of SMBs or individuals who sell things in the creator economy. And that’s where eBay lives. Bringing image automation to these personas is a logical move, and will resonate in its ability to save time and headaches in the standard product listing process.
Trendspotting: Google and Amazon Launch GenAI Product Images
On-Brand
Going deeper into what eBay has done, it offers a drag-and-drop wizard-like process to replace a given image background. This involves removing an existing background, then replacing it with something that’s more colorful, seasonally relevant, on-brand, or thematically aligned with the product itself.
As you can imagine, this democratizes advanced product imagery, as most sellers are only equipped with their smartphone camera. Combined with the ongoing advancements in cameras themselves, this can help SMBs gain production quality and customization previously reserved for pros and large brands.
This notably follows a progression of eBay moves with AI, such as generative-AI product titles and descriptions. That elevated SMB sellers’ abilities to differentiate their listings through text, while this week’s move brings generative images into the mix. Together it’s a nice one-two punch for eBay sellers.
The newest generative AI background customization is powered by open-source Stable Diffusion models and is available immediately for iOS users in the U.S., UK, and Germany. From there, it will then gradually roll out to Android users, and likely more regions, over the coming months, says eBay.
Following Suit
Back to the part about the other eCommerce players that have done similar, eBay’s move follows that of Amazon, Google, and Meta. Like eBay, each recognizes the power of generative AI to streamline eCommerce workflows. This is especially true for Amazon, as we’re talking about its core business.
Going through those one at a time to compare & contrast, Amazon’s AI image generation tool helps non-media savvy sellers and advertisers generate professional-looking product images for their listings or ads. The main selling point is contextually relevant fare (think: beach, kitchen, autumn, sunset, etc.).
As for Google, its AI-powered Product Studio sits under Google Shopping to customize image backgrounds. In addition to adding backgrounds, it can remove distracting backgrounds and replace them with simple color gradients or other modern looks. It can also improve and upscale low-res images.
Meta meanwhile launched a feature that lets Facebook advertisers generate images for their campaigns. Beyond backgrounds, it also generates images of products themselves which, like all the above moves, is meant to streamline the onerous process of campaign creation. Expect that trend to continue.
